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From VBC HQ: We love Rachel Caine. (You should love her, too.) The Morganville Vampires series is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and you know we had to be a part of it. Rachel is here to talk about what makes it special, drop a few keywords for a scavenger hunt, and giveaway some sweet prizes.
Morganville: The Fans
It’s a funny thing. When I started writing Morganville Vampires, I really only expected it to be a three book series; at most, I thought it could potentially lead to six books, which would have been WONDERFUL. And success beyond my wildest dreams. It was, after all, my very first attempt at YA, and I didn’t know if I was doing it right … or if young adults would think my voice was authentic and interesting to them.
The best I could do was write a story that I would have liked to read, at fourteen or at any age after, and be as faithful to the voices of the characters as I could be. That’s all we can do, of course, is be faithful to the idea and the story to the best of our ability.
So I was a little shocked when I started getting fan mail. And then more. And more. After the books got published in the UK, the volume began to be overwhelming, but in a fantastic sort of way.
Because there was a marked difference in the kind of mail I was getting from young adult readers. Many of them–maybe even most of them–said that the books made a difference for them.
For some of them, it was overcoming shyness, or bullying, or an abusive situation. For some of them, it was about finding a way out of their depression, or their health crisis, or their personal identity struggles. Some told me the books taught them to love to read. Some told me the books made it possible for them to carry on, day after day.
Some told me, in very simple and emotional terms, that the books saved their lives.
If you had told me any of this in 2006, when I was writing Glass Houses, I’m not sure I’d have had the courage to write these books, knowing what people would be finding in them … things I never anticipated, never expected or planned. But wonderful things!
I think I would have been afraid to let all these amazing readers down.
But I know these books are far from perfect. Looking back on it, I wince at the way I failed to include more diversity, and when I did, how badly I did some of it. I stumbled. I thank the people who brought those failings to my attention, who shattered my bubble and made me look around and think more deeply about all the things I hadn’t done. Needed to do better and more completely and more passionately. Because if I’m not improving, I am not progressing and growing. And it shows. And I welcome people telling me what I do wrong. I only, ever, want to help.
For all that I did wrong, it’s still comforting to know that these characters, this world, have made a difference. I don’t feel offended when articles sneer at YA books and authors; I don’t care when people dismiss Twilight and every other book with a vampire in it in the same breath.
I don’t measure the worth of Morganville in critical reviews, or awards, or sales numbers.
I only care about what it means my readers. And that’s why I celebrate this anniversary: because we are all together Morganville Residents. I made it up, but you? You made it happen.
And I’m so pleased just to be here with you.
— Rachel Caine
The Morganville Vampires
Morganville: The Series
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Enter for your chance to win a personal Halloween card from Rachel Caine, a TPU sampler booklet, a photo still from Morganville: The Series, and a Fall of Night lenticular bookmark! 4 runners-up will also receive a personal Halloween card from Rachel Caine! Giveaway ends 10/14/16
Scavenger Hunt: There are 10 blogs participating in the Morganville Vampires 10th Anniversary Bash and each blog has a bold, red, hidden buzz word that entrants must find and submit via the Rafflecopter below. Find all 10 buzz words, enter them in the Scavenger Hunt Rafflecopter on any of our 10 participating blogs, and be entered to win 1 of 3 prizes!
2 Runners-up will receive a Morganville Vampires tote bag, a signed paperback copy of Midnight Bites, a TPU sampler booklet , a Fall of Night lenticular, a photo still from Morganville: The Series, a Welcome to Morganville postcard, a Ghost Town lenticular, and a Morganville: The Series poster.
1 Grand Prize winner will receive a Morganville Vampires tote bag, a limited edition UK Daylighters, a signed paperback copy of Midnight Bites, a TPU sampler booklet, a Fall of Night lenticular bookmark, a photo still from Morganville: The Series, a a Welcome to Morganville postcard, a Ghost Town lenticular bookmark, and a Morganville Resident Survival Kit. Giveaway ends 11/7/16
Stay tuned for more Morganville throughout the month of October!
10/3 Mundie Moms
10/3 Vampire Book Club
10/7: Gone with the Words
10/10: Wicked Lil Pixie
10/14: Pandora’s Book Blog
10/17: Lost in Ever After
10/21: Adventures of a Book Junkie
10/24: Ali’s Reviews and More
10/28 Take Me Away To A Good Read
10/31: Beauty and the Bookshelf
***BUZZ WORD FOR VAMPIRE BOOK CLUB IS: YA Books
